ࡱ > s u r ` R ~ bjbjss . 8@ p p p p 4 * ( ( ( ( ( ( ( $ @, h . n ( e ( V* l l l ( l ( l l k' h ( 0g7T p P ' ( l* 0 * ' / p 0 ( / 0 $ ( $ l & t J ( ( b * D L $ L E x h o r t f o r 1 8 t h F e b 2 0 0 7 R e a d i n g - M a r k 1 4 B r o D a v i d E v a n s 2 0 0 7 t^2 g1 8 eRR͋ ~lSy,{1 4 z 'YkS ONe_DQ T h e r e w o u l d b e v e r y f e w r e a d i n g s t h a t w o u l d b e m o r e a p p r o p r i a t e t o c o n s i d e r b e f o r e s h a r i ng the bread and wine than an account of the events that took place in the upper room. Our reading today in Mark 14 is one such chapter. Here we have the details of the Lord as he instituted these emblems so that we might remember his sacrifice week by week. (Wc|URv~_N_KNMRegN~V~SuWcw(W\|i Nz#WvNN/f^8^ gaINvNdkeg~_bNv;NQT NǏN0N)YvlSy,{1 4 z1\}NُNN0ُ̑bN~vN;N̑_0RN gsQ~_N_~vYe[NkhT~_N@b\OQvzrrr0 M a r y A n o i n t s o u r L o r d M a r k 1 4 : 1 - 9 ; s e e a l s o J o h n 1 2 : 1 - 9 B e f o r e c o n s i d e r i n g t h e e v e n t s i n t h e u p p e r r o o m M a r k t a k e s u s b a c k a f e w d a y s t o the time when Mary anointed Jesus while he was eating in their home in Bethany. He does this because what happened there had a significant bearing on the events that follow. John records: Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment (John 12:3). This very moving act by Mary was motivated by love for her Lord. Because some questioned what Mary did, inferring it was a great waste, Jesus answered them saying: She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. (Mark 14:8). Is this an insight into Marys understanding of what was to happen to her Lord? It seems she was one of the few who realised that Jesus was to die and rise again. Possibly the resurrection of her brother Lazarus had confirmed in her mind what Jesus meant when he said: Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again (Mark 10:33-34). She believed that as her brother Lazarus had come forth from the grave, so her Lord would be raised also. l)RN(ulbbNv;N lSy1 4 1 - 9 ~y1 2 1 - 9 (W6#zz#WKNMRlSHQ}NSuQ)YMR(W/O'Y<\vN`l)RN(W(uveP(ubN6#z0V:NُNNTTeg@bSuvN` gT|0~y_N g}l)RN1\b@w Neg5vwTTb6#zvS(u]4YSSd0K\̑1\nNvl0~y1 2 3 l)RNُ NaNv>NR/fQN[6#zv1r0FO gN[l)RNvL:NcQ(u:Nُ/fg'Yvjm96#z1\VT{NN yY@b\Ov/f=\yY@bv0yY/f:Nb[lvNbHQGm(Wb N lSy1 4 8 0ُ/f&Tfl)RNASRwQ gm[RNwScNeg\(W6#z NSuNHNS_eS g_\vNaƋ0R6#z\zrrrv^N Y;m0_S/fN__bdv Y;myYf}vv^nxO6#zf~@bvwTbN N6dQSNP[\N~mySTeXNN[N{kjN~YN0NNb_NT>Ul(WN8 NSbN@g[N0ǏN N)YN Y;mlSy1 0 3 3 03 4 0V:NyYv__bdf~N_WX-N Y;m@bNyYmO6#z\eg_N Y;m0 A t s u c h a m e a l w h e r e l o v e p r e d o m i n a t e d ( J o h n 1 1 : 5 ) , who would have thought that in the heart of one at that same meal a plot was developing that would fulfil those other words of Jesus: the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes? We see the seeds of this evil action in the words Judas spoke when he saw Mary anointing Jesus. He was not moved by her love for her Lord but his mind quickly turned the ointment into monetary value. To him it was money wasted, that he could use. Like all hypocrites, his real thoughts were concealed in words conveying a deep feeling for the poor: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? (John 12:4-5). Three hundred pence was equal to a years wages, for labourers were paid a penny a day (Matthew 20:2). Such a large amount, if given to the poor, certainly would have been very helpful for them. However John adds the following comment: This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein . I t w a s b l a t a n t h y p o c r i s y f o r J u d a s t o p r e s e n t h i m s e l f a s o n e w h o c a r e d f o r t h e p o o r h i s i n t e n t i o n w a s t o s t e a l f r o m t h e b a g . J e s u s , w h o k n e w w h a t w a s i n m a n , k n e w t h e e v i l t h o u g h t s o f J u d a s h e a r t . (W(uete*N?bEQnN1rvlV~y1 1 5 g`0R1\(Wdkedk0W(Wg*NNv_̑ckR@w`7hw[6#zُN6#z ǏN NP[\N~mySTeXNN[N{kj lSy1 0 3 3 0bNSNNr'Yw0Rl)RN(ulb6#ze@bv̑wQNjv`vR:gNv^l gl)RNvL:N@bag/fl N`0RlёebvN